In the packaging industry, particularly relating to the packaging of snack foods, weighing machines (scales) receive product and deliver the product in batches to a packaging machine below. The weighing machine includes a first set of buckets (hoppers) that accumulate the product, and then deliver the product to a second set of buckets which weigh the product. The second set of buckets are then actuated so that batches of a desired weight are delivered to a former and then ultimately the packaging machine below.
The weighing machine also includes a centre cone to which the product is initially delivered. The centre cone directs product to a plurality of chutes that extend generally radially and downwardly from the cone to the first set of buckets.
The weighing machines have a generally upright central longitudinal axis, with each of the distribution chutes having a longitudinal axis located in a plane passing through the longitudinal axis. Accordingly, the chutes extend radially relative to the longitudinal axis.
The above described packaging machines have a disadvantage in that the delivery chutes have very little control over the flow of product to the first set of buckets (hoppers). In particular if one of the buckets is disabled, the product will continue to flow to the disabled bucket and overflow.